SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The day after the worst storm to hit the island in 80 years, rescue teams continued searching for residents trapped in ravaged communities as the government warned that Hurricane Maria destroyed so much of the island it may be awhile before help arrives.

“We ask the people of Puerto Rico for patience, to prepare for at least 72 hours before there is a functioning government,” Abner Gómez, director of Puerto Rico’s Emergency Management Agency, said at a Thursday press conference.

Hurricane Maria tore through the center of this island nation of 3.4 million people with 155-mph winds and a ferocity not seen here in nearly a century, crippling the government and plunging the entire country into darkness. Gov. Ricardo Rosselló has said it may be three to six months before power is restored.

Places like Loíza, Canóvanas, Río Grande y Toa Baja were some of the hardest hit, and rescuers still struggled to reach those communities.

On Thursday, residents desperately tried to reach loved ones in the storm’s path, many of whom have been essentially cut off from the world. Rosselló earlier said he had not been able to reach his own father, former governor Pedro Rosselló.

Enormous downed trees blocked streets and wires crisscrossed roads in the Isla Verde neighborhood of San Juan. In nearby Condado, drivers slowly waded their cars through streets and highways still submerged in floodwaters.

Some motorists drove through oncoming traffic to avoid flooded highway lanes. Others turned around and went back.

In the residential Carolina neighborhood, trees and debris clogged roads, but the concrete-slab homes in the district mostly withstood Maria's battering winds.

Still, the violence unleashed by the storm terrorized residents.

The Courtyard Marriott Isla Verde in San Juan lost a wall and had other structural damage from Hurricane Maria but mostly withstood the storm's barrage.(Photo: Rick Jervis, USA TODAY)

Victor Ramirez, 78, said this was by far the worst storm he'd seen on the island.

"You could hear people crying, they were scared," he said as he surveyed the trees and debris the storm dumped on his street. "This one was devastating."

Maria, now a Category 3 storm, was lashing the northeastern Dominican Republic early Thursday. It is expected to pass near the Turks and Caicos later in the day.

Officers of the National Guard of Puerto Rico deliver boxes with food to a inhabitant, in Jayuya, Puerto Rico, on Oct. 11. The Jayuya population, in the heart of the island, is an example of the municipalities of the interior of Puerto Rico which struggle to return to normal after the devastation of hurricane Maria.
Jorge Miniz, EPA-EFE

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Jeff Buchanan, the commander of Joint Task Force Puerto Rico, and soldiers from the Puerto Rico National Guard, unload a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter carrying critical supplies in Jayuya, Puerto Rico, on Oct. 11, 2017. The death toll from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico has risen to 44 three weeks after the storm ripped through the island, Gov. Ricardo Rossello said Wednesday.
US Department of Defense via AFP/Getty Images

A police car patrols on a darkened street three weeks after Hurricane Maria hit the island, on Oct. 11, 2017, in Aibonito, Puerto Rico. The area is without running water or grid power as a nightly curfew remains in effect. Despite multiple visits from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the town has yet to receive any FEMA aid.
Mario Tama, Getty Images

Yanira Rios collects spring water for her house nearly three weeks after Hurricane Maria hit the island on Oct. 10, 2017, in Utuado, Puerto Rico. Her house and most of the municipality is without running water or grid power.
Mario Tama, Getty Images

A man fills a generator with gas to power a bar on a darkened street with car headlights in the distance three weeks after Hurricane Maria hit the island, in Aibonito, Puerto Rico.
Mario Tama, Getty Images

Community members walk up to their houses after working to clear the street of debris, Tuesday, nearly three weeks after Hurricane Maria hit the island, in Pellejas, Adjuntas municipality, Puerto Rico. The men said they have received virtually no governmental assistance and their houses have no electricity or running water. Only 16% of Puerto Rico's electricity has been restored. Puerto Rico experienced widespread damage including most of the electrical, gas and water grid as well as agriculture after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, swept through.
Mario Tama, Getty Images

Israel Gonzales, 84, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer, rests after walking up the hillside back to his home after picking coffee beans to earn extra money, on Tuesday, nearly three weeks after Hurricane Maria hit the island, in Pellejas, Adjuntas municipality, Puerto Rico.
Mario Tama, Getty Images

Efrain Diaz Figueroa, right, walks by his sister's home destroyed in the passing of Hurricane Maria, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Monday. Maria sent tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans fleeing to the U.S. mainland to escape the immediate aftermath of the storm. The 70-year-old is waiting for a sister to come take him to stay with family in Boston. 'I'm going to the U.S. I'll live better there,' he said.
Ramon Espinosa, AP

Members of the Reyes family clean after their house was hit by a mudslide after Hurricane Maria hit the island, Monday, in Jayuya, Puerto Rico. An approximately 9-foot tall mudslide hit the house, butting up close to the top of the roof.
Mario Tama, Getty Images

Atabey Nunez, 25, gestures as she talks at El Hamburguer restaurant in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017. Nunez lost her job as an accountant on a TV series after Hurricane Maria knocked out power across the island. Now she's planning to look for work on the U.S. mainland. She says she'll start her job search wherever she finds a friend to stay with for the longest period of time.
Credit: Oren Dorell, USA TODAY
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA [Via MerlinFTP Drop]
Oren Dorell, USA TODAY

U.S. Army 1st Special Force Command Staff Sgt. Eric Reyes checks the depth of a river that was caused when heavy rains fell on the area days after Hurricane Maria swept through the island on Oct. 7, 2017, in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico. Reyes and the team of soldiers he is with are delivering supplies to people as well as checking on the well being of people caught up in the natural disaster.
Joe Raedle, Getty Images

A woman takes a photo of her child posing with a member of the Puerto Rican National Guard during a food distribution to victims of Hurricane Maria, in Morovis, Puerto Rico, Saturday.
Ramon Espinosa, AP

Nurse practitioner Beth Sargent examines a patient with a cut on his leg as the Delaware Medical Relief Team set up a second medical clinic in the village of Paix Bouche, Dominica.
Suchat Pederson, The Journal News-USA TODAY NETWORK

Bennet Remy, a villager of Dos D'Ane arrived back to his village after the storm to find out his uncle and cousin had died in their home. Flood waters from Hurricane Maria bore down on the house bringing with it rushing water and debris through the home killing it's occupants.
Suchat Pederson, USA TODAY NETWORK

Monkeys move about on Cayo Santiago, known as Monkey Island, in Puerto Rico Oct. 4. One of the first places Hurricane Maria hit in the U.S. territory was Monkey Island, a 40-acre outcropping off the east coast that is one of the worlds most important sites for research into how primates think, socialize and evolve.
Ramon Espinosa, AP

Daniel Braithwaite prepares to catch a box of MREs as he helps U.S. Army 1st Special Forces Command soldiers as they deliver food and water to people Oct. 5 in Utuado, Puerto Rico.
Joe Raedle, Getty Images

Dr. Carlos Gomez Marcial, emergency medical director of the main trauma center in Puerto Rico, Centro Medico, gives a tour to officials from the USNS Comfort, the morning after the navy's hospital ship arrived in port. Capt. Kevin Buckley, commanding officer, is pictured, center. Both teams were assessing each other's capacity to determine how the island can best utilize the ship. USA Today Network/Carrie Cochran
Carrie Cochran, The Enquirer via the USA TODAY Network

The last cardiothoracic surgeon working in all of Puerto Rico, Orlando Lopez de Victoria, center, examines images of a patient's repaired aorta at Auxilio Mutuo Hospital in San Juan. Because of communication problems, the patient spent eight hours at a hospital 10 minutes away, waiting for the right type of care. Before Hurricane Maria, Lopez de Victoria says that there were 10 heart surgeons operating on the island. Some left, and some cannot operate because of poor hospital conditions. He decided to stay. "This is not a time to stop and morn and cry. This is a time to stand up and do your best."
Carrie Cochran, The Enquirer via the USA TODAY Network

Trucks delivered rice, water and other items to residents of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico Oct. 2, 2017. Residents report this is the first time that they have gotten any relief supplies.
Ricky Flores, The Journal News via the USA TODAY Network

Martin Mejias of New York City, left, talks to a neighbor in Patillas, Puerto Rico, along the coast. Mejias flew to the island to check on his mother, , Oct. 2, 2017.
Ricky Flores, The Journal News via the USA TODAY Network

A family waits in their home in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico for food and water to be distributed from FEMA, distributed by the municipality, Oct. 2, 2017. Aid is being distributed door-to-door to ensure that each family only gets one care package. Drinking water has been scarce and food can cost at least double the price after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island.
Carrie Cochran, The Enquirer via the USA TODAY Network

Yulitza Torres swings her friend's child, Yulianis, 6, as they wait for water from FEMA in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, Oct. 2, 2017. Aid is being distributed door-to-door by municipalities to ensure that each family only gets one care package.
Carrie Cochran, The Enquirer via the USA TODAY Network

People wait in line to see a representative of FEMA at the Parque de Nino in Yabucuo in Puerto Rico Oct. 2, 2017. This is the second time FEMA has visited the town and expect to see over 300 people who are seeking to apply for Federal relief.
Ricky Flores, The Journal News via the USA TODAY Network

Possession lost during Hurricane Maria, line a street in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Oct. 2, 2017. The hurricane caused heavy damage to homes and infrastructure across the Island.
Ricky Flores, The Journal News via the USA TODAY Network

Damaged homes and trees stripped of their leaves are seen throughout Yabucoa, Puerto Rico eleven days after Hurricane Maria struck the island, Oct. 2, 2017.
Carrie Cochran, The Enquirer via the USA TODAY Network

Volunteers help a patient to his feet after treating him in Yabucoa's, Puerto Rico, where SCORE, a non-profit based in Toledo, Ohio, set up a makeshift medical clinic, Oct. 2, 2017. More than a dozen medical professionals and fourth-year medical students came to the island to help after Hurricane Maria as a part of SCORE, a non-profit based in Toledo, Ohio.
Carrie Cochran, The Enquirer via the USA TODAY Network

Residents of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, wait in the heat outside the gates of a daycare, turned FEMA registration center, Oct. 2, 2017. Some people waiting said they had arrived before sunrise.
Carrie Cochran, The Enquirer via the USA TODAY Network

Aurelio Beltran drives through his plantain fields, which were destroyed by Hurricane Maria, Oct. 2, 2017. Acres and acres of destroyed plantain crops litter the Yabucoa valley -- Puerto Rico's largest plantain-producing region. According to Angel Morales, the president of the farming cooperative in Yabucoa, the valley has three to four thousand acres of plantains. Though they have insurance, not only will plantain farmers make no profit because of Hurricane Maria's damage, they will lose half of their investment, as it costs about $6 or $7 dollars investment for each plant, and they will receive $3.25 back from insurance when it comes through.
Ricky Flores and Carrie Cochran, USA TODAY NETWORK

Provendencia Riva Nieves and Ramon Garcia Carrillon of Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, talk about the damage done to their home on Oct. 1, 2017, when the coastal surge from Hurricane Maria reached up to 5-feet or more and devastating the town.
Ricky Flores, USA TODAY NETWORK

Julia Rivera gets up from the makeshift bed in the porch of her house as her children sleep in Moravis, Puerto Rico, Oct. 1, 2017. Rivera said on the night of the hurricane they took shelter in another home and when they came back they saw that their house was destroyed by Hurricane Maria.
Ramon Espinosa, AP

Mayda Melendez, left, from the First Medical Relief team is hugged by Maria Diaz after she gave her medical care at the Pedro America Pagan de Colon assisted living facility in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on Oct.1, 2017, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Members of the First Medical Relief team visited the complex and said the residents need water, many are hungry and need their medication which is difficult to get.
Joe Raedle, Getty Images

Sgt. Jose Castillo of the Puerto Rico National Guard, and Ashley Hernandez give Carmen Bermudez Rosa kisses at the Ruben Rodriguez Figueroa High School's in Naranjito, Puerto Rico, which is now a makeshift shelter. All of their homes were destroyed by Hurricane Maria. Castillo has been volunteering his time, organizing the residents there to have different duties. "We were strangers when we got here. Now, we are family," Castillo said. They have been together for a week and started out as strangers. "We are a family," he said. at a high school in Naranjito, Puerto Rico, about 45 minutes outside of San Juan.
Carrie Cochran, The Enquirer via the USA TODAY N

Actor and producer Benicio del Toro is stopped by fans to get his picture taken in the lobby of a hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He just flew in today to check on family and offer support to the people of Puerto Rico, where he was born, Sept. 30, 2017.
Carrie Cochran, The Enquirer via the USA TODAY N

Many of the homes have been damaged in the town of Naranjito from Hurricane Maria. Without any utilities, people are turning to natural springs to cover cleaning, bathing and flushing toilets.
Ricky Flores/The Journal News

A man fills bottles with water from a stream in Comerio, Puerto Rico ten days after Hurricane Maria struck the island. Drinking water is scarce. Residents there are forced to use La Plata River for bathing and washing clothes, Sept. 30, 2017.
Carrie Cochran, The Enquirer via the USA TODAY Network

Leonid Perez Diaz rests Saturday afternoon on a cot inside one of Ruben Rodriguez Figueroa High School's classrooms in Naranjito, Puerto Rico. The school has become a makeshift shelter for persons displaced by Hurricane Maria. T
Carrie Cochran, The Enquirer via the USA TODAY Network

People from the town of Naranjito gather water from stream in the town of Naranjito in Puerto Rico. Much of this water will be used for flushing toilets and bathing, but it is probably not potable.
Ricky Flores/The Journal News

A electrical crew work on a down power pole on in Puerto Rico on Sept. 30, 2017, knocked down because of Hurricane Maria. Large portions of the towns throughout the island is without electricity and potable water. ORG XMIT: none (Via OlyDrop)
Ricky Flores Carrie Cochran/USA

Families from the town of Naranjito who have become homeless are staying at the Ruben Rodriguez Figueroa School. The school is housing 119 people and is running low on potable water.
Ricky Flores/The Journal News

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz (R) hugs Esperanza Ruiz as she arrives at the temporary government center setup at the Roberto Clemente stadium in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on Sept. 30, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Joe Raedle, Getty Images

Margarita Burgos poses for a portrait on Sept. 29, 2017, while cooking outside over a wood fire, due to the lack of electricity, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. Burgos feels her greatest need is clean water, followed by electricity.
Gerald Herbert, AP

A military aircraft from the Rhode Island National Guard unloads at Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Sept. 29, 2017 as part of a steady build up military and emergency responders in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.
Ricky Flores, The Journal News via USA TODAY NETWORK

13-year-old Dereck Laguna accompanies his stepfather Jose Figueroa as they stop along the highway where they located water in Cayey, Puerto Rico on Sept. 29, 2017. Laguna and Figueroa said their greatest need is water. "Right now we don't even have a little bottle of water in the house. At least I move around, I have my car and I look for water to drink. It's hard to do but you have to move around," Figueroa said.
Carlos Giusti, AP

Dr. Victor Rivera attends to Carmen Hernandez in a car in the hospital's parking lot for lack of space at the hospital in Bayamon, Puerto Rico on Sept. 28, 2017. Hurricane Maria is stressing Puerto Rico's already weak health care system. Rivera said they are so overwhelmed that he has been intercepting patients in the ER waiting room and even outside while people are still in their cars, to send them on their way with medical advice or a prescription in non-emergency cases.
Ramon Espinosa, AP

People line up to get on a Royal Caribbean International, Adventure of the Seas, relief boat that is sailing to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. with evacuees that are fleeing after the island was hit by Hurricane Maria.
Joe Raedle

Honor guards carry the coffin of policeman Luis Angel Gonzalez Lorenzo, killed during the passage of Hurricane Maria when he tried to cross a river in his car, during his funeral at the cemetery in Aguada, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 29, 2017.
Ramon Espinosa, AP

Marta Sostre Vazquez reacts as she starts to wade into the San Lorenzo Morovis River with her family in Morovis, Puerto Rico, on Wednesday, after a bridge was swept away by Hurricane Maria. The family was returning to their home after visiting family on the other side.
Gerald Herbert, AP

USNS Comfort, the naval hospital ship, leaves the harbor as USS McFaul (DDG-74) is seen in the background on Friday in Hampton, Va. The USNS Comfort is being deployed to support relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Alex Wong, Getty Images

Esmeralda Santaella and Maritza Vega hug as they hang out together as the island deals with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on Friday, in San Juan. Puerto Rico experienced widespread damage including most of the electrical, gas and water grid as well as agriculture after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through.
Joe Raedle, Getty Images

People sweep mud from inside an affected business in Comerio, Puerto Rico, Friday.
US military and emergency relief teams ramped up their aid efforts for Puerto Rico amid growing criticism of the response to the hurricanes which ripped through the Caribbean island.
Ricardo Arduerngo, AFP/Getty Images

People wait in line to collect water piped from a creek in the mountains, in Naranjito, Puerto Rico, on Thursday. Residents of the area drive to the pipes to bathe because they were left without water supplies by the damage caused by Hurricane Maria. The pipe was set up by a neighbor who ran it from a creek in his property to the side of the road in order to help those left without water.
Ramon Espinosa, AP

A girl whose parents did not want to be identified by name waits in a line of people waiting to evacuate the island on a cruise ship in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday.
Gerald Herbert, AP

Nelida Trinidad talks about the destruction of her home in Montebello, Puerto Rico, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Sept. 26, 2017. Five days after the Category 4 storm slammed into Puerto Rico, many of the more than 3.4 million U.S. citizens in the territory were still without adequate food, water and fuel. Flights off the island were infrequent, communications were spotty and roads were clogged with debris. Officials said electrical power may not be fully restored for more than a month.
Gerald Herbert, AP

People wait in a line to buy gasoline after the passage of Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sept. 26, 2017.
The US island territory, working without electricity, is struggling to dig out and clean up from its disastrous brush with the hurricane, blamed for at least 33 deaths across the Caribbean.
Hector Retamal, AFP/Getty Images

A lone chicken walks amongst dead birds on a poultry farm in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Aibonito, Puerto Rico, Sept. 25, 2017. A government official said the farm, which supplies the only fresh chicken in Puerto Rico, lost more than one million chickens.
Gerald Herbert, AP

Residents at La Perla community in Old San Juan comfort one another as the community recovers from Hurricane Maria, in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Sept. 25, 2017. The island territory of more than 3 million U.S. citizens is reeling in the devastating wake of Hurricane Maria.
Carlos Giusti, AP

People sit in their apartment on Sept. 25, 2017 with the window blown out by the winds of Hurricane Maria as it passed through the area last week in San Juan Puerto Rico. Maria left widespread damage across Puerto Rico, with virtually the whole island without power or cell service.
Joe Raedle, Getty Images

Residents dismantle a roof days after Hurricane Maria made landfall, in Loiza, Puerto Rico. Many on the island have lost power, running water, and cell phone service after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through. (
Alex Wroblewski, Getty Images

Police officers stand guard at a gas station in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The first looting incidents were reported after the passage of Hurricane Maria on its route to the west of the Caribbean region. Local media reported that several robberies occurred in the eastern municipalities of Luquillo, Fajardo and Humacao, where security forces have found it necessary to intervene and restore order.
Thais Llorca, EPA-EFE

National Guard personnel evacuate Toa Ville resident Luis Alberto Martinez in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. Because of the heavy rains brought by Maria, thousands of people were evacuated from Toa Baja after the municipal government opened the gates of the Rio La Plata Dam.
Carlos Giusti, AP

An aerial view of Roseau, capital of the Caribbean island Dominica, shows destruction, Thursday, three days after passage of Hurricane Maria.
Dominica, located near the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, has been almost completely cut off from the world since the impact of the hurricane.
Lionel Chamoiseau, AFP Contributor#AFP

People sit in their home in El Negro, Puerto Rico, Thursday, after the impact of Hurricane Maria. Islanders face the dispiriting prospect of weeks and perhaps months without electricity. The storm knocked out the entire grid across the U.S. territory of 3.4 million, leaving many without power.
Carlos Giusti, AP

People queue in line to withdraw money from an ATM in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Catano, Puerto Rico, on Friday. Governor Ricardo Rossello called Maria the most devastating storm in a century after it destroyed the US territory's electricity and telecommunications infrastructure.
Ricardo Arduengo, AFP/Getty Images

Slt Dawkins, left, and Slt Marks clear debris at Nanny Cay on the island of Tortola, British Virgin Islands, on Friday. Sailors from Plymouth based HMS Ocean have arrived on Tortola, the largest of the British Virgin Islands, the ship full of relief aid. The ship arrived today with around 650 personnel and 60 tonnes of aid including construction equipment and other essential materials such as hygiene kits and water purification tablets.
Joel Rouse, British Ministry of Defense, EPA-EFE

Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina, right, visits the people affected after the passage of Hurricane Maria in the city of Nagua, Dominican Republic. A total of 38 localities in the Dominican Republic continue to be isolated due to the overflow of rivers, streams and canyons caused by Hurricane Maria.
Orlando Barria, EPA-EFE

A man stands in the flooded street outside his house, after the passage of Hurricane Maria, in the community of Boba in the northeast of the Dominican Republic, on Friday.
Erika Santelices, AFP/Getty Images

Personnel from a FEMA search and rescue crew walk in a flooded road, Friday, after the passing of Hurricane Maria, in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. Because of the heavy rains brought by Maria, thousands of people were evacuated from Toa Baja after the municipal government opened the gates of the Rio La Plata Dam.
Carlos Giusti, AP

Sections of Loza, Puerto Rico, flooded badly in the wake of Hurricane Maria, stranding hundreds of residents. Floods have been a major issue in the disaster enveloping Puerto Rico.
Rick Jervis, USA TODAY

A person looks at damaged homes in the La Perla neighborhood on Sept. 21, 2017, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The majority of the island has lost power, in San Juan many are left without running water or cellphone service.
Alex Wroblewski, Getty Images

Gerald Ramirez, 5, left, and Deyanery Ramirez, 3, right, look down Calle San Miguel in the La Perla neighborhood on Sept. 21, 2017, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The majority of the island has lost power, in San Juan many are left without running water or cell phone service, and the governor said Maria is the "most devastating storm to hit the island this century."
Alex Wroblewski, Getty Images

A car is stuck in a flooded street in in San Juan, Puerto Rico Sept. 21, 2017.
Puerto Rico braced for potentially calamitous flash flooding after being pummeled by Hurricane Maria which devastated the island and knocked out the entire electricity grid.
Hector Retamal, AFP/Getty Images

A tree blocks a street in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Hurricane Maria, which Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello called "the most devastating storm in a century," had battered the island of 3.4 million people after roaring ashore early Wednesday with deadly winds and heavy rain.
Hector Retamal, AFP/Getty Images

People deal with the damage caused by Hurricane Maria in Roseau, Dominica, on Sept. 20, 2017. Hurricane Maria smashed into the eastern Caribbean island of Dominica on Tuesday. Its prime minister described devastating damage as winds and rain from the storm also hit territories still reeling from Irma.
AFP/Getty Images

A woman pushes children as members of the military help remove damaged boats after the passage of Hurricane Irma and Maria in Orient Bay, St. Martin, on Sept. 20, 2017.
Helene Valenzuela, AFP/Getty Images

A resident of the Puerto Nuevo neighborhood walks through flood water during the passage of Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 20, 2017.
Maria slammed into Puerto Rico on Wednesday, cutting power on most of the U.S. territory as terrified residents hunkered down in the face of the island's worst storm in living memory.
Hector Retamal, AFP/Getty Images

A woman is transported to a shelter by search and rescue crew members after being rescued from her flooded home as Hurricane Maria hit Fajardo, Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, 2017.
Ricardo Arduengo, AFP/Getty Images

Adriana Rosado, 21, Jorge Diana, 24, and their 2-month old Jorge Nicolas, who live in Guaynabo, wait in a hallway at the Ciqala Hotel outside their flooded room as Hurricane Maria bears down on San Juan Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, 2017.
Alex Wroblewski, Getty Images

A man passes through a door at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which suffered damages from wind during the passage of the Hurricane Maria, Sept. 20, 2017.
Hector Retamal, AFP/Getty Images

Men clear fallen tree branches in a road in the village of Viard - Petit Bourg, near Pointe-a-Pitre in the French territory of Guadeloupe after Hurricane Maria passed.
Cedrick Isham Calvados, AFP/Getty Images

An uprooted tree covers a small house in the village of Viard - Petit Bourg, near Pointe-a-Pitre in the French territory of Guadeloupe after Hurricane Maria passed.
Cedrick Isham Calvados, AFP/Getty Images

Residents cover windows as they prepare for a direct hit from Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello is saying Maria could be the "most catastrophic hurricane to hit" the U.S. territory in a century.
Alex Wroblewski, Getty Images

In San Juan's Condado neighborhood, a mix of tourist hotels and residential neighborhoods, open-air cafeterias served patrons lunch and people went about their business. Cixto Caldern sold $5 bunches of quenepas, small, sweet lime-like fruits purported to have medicinal qualities, such as stress relief and a cancer combatant, from the trunk of his car.
Caldern, 57, was later going to ride out the hurricane in his nearby home. "I'm making a little money but this is also a service to the people," he said. "This will relieve their stress, takes their mind off Maria."
Rick Jervis, USA TODAY

These rocks were swept by strong waves onto a road in Le Carbet, on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, after it was hit by Hurricane Maria on Sept. 19, 2017.
Lionel Chamoiseau, AFP/Getty Images

Men remove boats from the water ahead of Hurricane Maria in the Galbas area of Sainte-Anne on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Hurricane Maria grew into a Category 3 storm as it barreled toward a potentially devastating collision with islands in the eastern Caribbean.
Dominique Chomereau-Lamotte, AP

Heber Hernandez, a store owner who has lived and worked in Old San Juan for 24 years, said he realizes Maria will be the strongest storm the island has seen in over seven decades.
But technology has improved to inform citizens and help them better prepare for storms, he said. On Tuesday, he bought two last cases of water to ride out the storm in his Old San Juan home.
Still, he expected widespread devastation.
"In my 24 years in this city, I've never seen anything like this," Hernandez said.
Rick Jervis, USA TODAY

Members of the Guadeloupe Adapted Military Service Regiment clean up around the French Caribbean island of Saint-Martin, after it was hit by Hurricane Irma, on Sept. 18, 2017,
Helene Valenzuela, AFP/Getty Images

This is a flooded street in Pointe-a-Pitre after the powerful winds and rain of hurricane Maria battered the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, on Sept. 19, 2017.
Yves Thole, video frame grab via AFP/Getty Images

Members of the Guadeloupe Adapted Military Service Regiment clean the Jerome Beaupere School in Sandy Ground on the French Caribbean island of Saint-Martin, after it was hit by Hurricane Irma and ahead of Hurricane Maria.
Helene Valenzuela, AFP/Getty Images

Members of the Guadeloupe Adapted Military Service Regiment clean up on the French Caribbean island of Saint-Martin, after it was hit by Hurricane Irma, and ahead of Hurricane Maria.
Helene Valenzuela, AFP/Getty Images

Members of the Guadeloupe Adapted Military Service Regiment clean up on the French Caribbean island of Saint-Martin, after it was hit by Hurricane Irma, and ahead of Hurricane Maria.
Helene Valenzuela, AFP/Getty Images

Members of the Guadeloupe Adapted Military Service Regiment clean up on the French Caribbean island of Saint-Martin, after it was hit by Hurricane Irma, and ahead of Hurricane Maria.
Helene Valenzuela, AFP/Getty Images

Marta Sostre Vazquez reacts as she starts to wade into the San Lorenzo Morovis River with her family in Morovis, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017, after a bridge was swept away by Hurricane Maria. The family was returning to their home after visiting family on the other side. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) ORG XMIT: NC105
Gerald Herbert, AP

Steven Sands sits outside his home with a flashlight and his smartphone at night, coping with the lack of electricity in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) ORG XMIT: NC113
Gerald Herbert, AP

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 28: People line up to get on a Royal Caribbean International, Adventure of the Seas, relief boat that is sailing to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida with evacuees that are fleeing after the island was hit by Hurricane Maria on September 28, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico experienced widespread damage including most of the electrical, gas and water grid as well as agriculture after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) ***BESTPIX*** ORG XMIT: 775047034 ORIG FILE ID: 855213468
Joe Raedle

People affected by Hurricane Maria wait in line to collecy water piped from a creek in the mountains, in Naranjito, Puerto Rico, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017. Residents of the area drive to the pipes to bathe because they were left without water supplies by the damage caused by Hurricane Maria. The pipe was set up by a neighbor who ran it from a creek in his property to the side of the road in order to help those left without water. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ORG XMIT: XRE118
Ramon Espinosa, AP

Honor guards carry the coffin of policeman Luis Angel Gonzalez Lorenzo, killed during the passage of Hurricane Maria when he tried to cross a river in his car, during his funeral at the cemetery in Aguada, Puerto Rico, Friday, Sept. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) ORG XMIT: XRE102
Ramon Espinosa, AP

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 29: Esmeralda Santaella and Maritza Vega hug as they hang out together as the island deals with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on September 29, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico experienced widespread damage including most of the electrical, gas and water grid as well as agriculture after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775047034 ORIG FILE ID: 855684994
Joe Raedle, Getty Images

People sweep mud from inside an affected business in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, in Comerio, Puerto Rico, September 29, 2017.
US military and emergency relief teams ramped up their aid efforts for Puerto Rico amid growing criticism of the response to the hurricanes which ripped through the Caribbean island. / AFP PHOTO / Ricardo ARDUENGORICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: AFP_SY2FF
RICARDO ARDUENGO, AFP/Getty Images

TOA BAJA, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 29: A damaged home is seen as people deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on September 29, 2017 in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico experienced widespread damage including most of the electrical, gas and water grid as well as agriculture after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775047034 ORIG FILE ID: 855652080
Joe Raedle, Getty Images

People sit on both sides of a destroyed bridge that crossed over the San Lorenzo de Morovis river, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, in Morovis, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017. A week since the passing of Maria many are still waiting for help from anyone from the federal or Puerto Rican government. But the scope of the devastation is so broad, and the relief effort so concentrated in San Juan, that many people from outside the capital say they have received little to no help. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) ORG XMIT: PRGH115
Gerald Herbert, AP

A girl whose parents did not want to be identified by name waits in a line of people waiting to evacuate the island on a cruise ship in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017. The aftermath of the powerful storm has resulted in a near-total shutdown of the U.S. territorys economy that could last for weeks and has many people running seriously low on cash and worrying that it will become even harder to survive on this storm-ravaged island. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) ORG XMIT: PRGH103
Gerald Herbert, AP

A man installs a tarp over a damaged business roof in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, in Aibonito, Puerto Rico, September 29, 2017.
US military and emergency relief teams ramped up their aid efforts for Puerto Rico amid growing criticism of the response to the hurricanes which ripped through the Caribbean island. / AFP PHOTO / Ricardo ARDUENGORICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: AFP_SY2FJ
RICARDO ARDUENGO, AFP/Getty Images

People enjoy a moment at a local bar in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, in Aibonito, Puerto Rico, September 29, 2017.
US military and emergency relief teams ramped up their aid efforts for Puerto Rico amid growing criticism of the response to the hurricanes which ripped through the Caribbean island. / AFP PHOTO / Ricardo ARDUENGORICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: AFP_SY2FL
RICARDO ARDUENGO, AFP/Getty Images

LARES, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 29: Members of the Puerto Rican National Guard deliver food and water via helicopter to hurricane survivors as they deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria on September 29, 2017 in Lares, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico experienced widespread damage including most of the electrical, gas and water grid as well as agriculture after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX *** ORG XMIT: 775047034 ORIG FILE ID: 855643988
Joe Raedle

More than 11,000 people sought refuge in about 500 shelters prepared by the government, Rosselló said.

“Months and months and months and months are going to pass before we can recover from this,” Felix Delgado, the mayor of the northern city of Catano, told the Associated Press.

Shawn Zimmerman, 27, a student from Lewistown, Pa., who moved to Puerto Rico nearly two years ago, was among those who helped clear smaller branches after the storm.

Streets around San Juan were clogged with downed trees and debris a day after Hurricane Maria tore through the island. (Photo: Rick Jervis, USA TODAY)

“The storm didn’t bother me,” he said. “It’s the devastation. I get goosebumps. It’s going to take us a long time.”

The U.S. territory, a decade deep in recession and struggling to pay its bills, wrestled with a massive recovery effort after Hurricane Irma sideswiped the island on Sept. 6, damaging buildings and knocking out power to a third of homes and businesses.

Puerto Ricans are trying to make contact with relatives and friends after Hurricane Maria knocked out power and telephone services. Hundreds of other residents and tourists packed San Juan Airport on Sunday, which is barely functioning. (Sept. 25)
AP

One of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit Puerto Rico made landfall on Wednesday as officials warned it would decimate the power company's crumbling infrastructure and force the government to rebuild dozens of communities. (Sept. 20)
AP

Hurricane Maria intensified into a potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm Monday as it surged toward islands in the eastern Caribbean, and forecasters warned it might become even stronger. (Sept. 18)
AP

Hurricane Maria pounded the small island of Dominica with catastrophic winds on Monday night. The storm is charging into the eastern Caribbean threatening islands wrecked by Irma. Maria's top sustained winds were 160 mph on Tuesday morning. (Sept. 19
AP